Polyepoxide and polyether prepared from reacting a polyepoxide and a glycol



United States Patent ice fjilfflil the polyhydric polyether is one obtained by the epoxida- POLYEPOXIDE ,%Z% PREPARED tion of a polyhydric phenol with an epihalohydrin such FROM RE ACTING A POLYEPOXIDE AND A as eplchlorohydrin or glycerol dichlorohydrin in the pres- GLYCOL ence of sodium hydroxide or other dehydrohalogenating Paul A. Larson and Ren J. Al, Lake Jackson, Tex., as- 5 agent Suitable polyhydric phenols are resorcinol, y

signors to Th Dow Chemi al Com any, Midl d, quinone and the polynuclear phenols or bisphenols such Mich, a corporation of Delaware as 2,2-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propane, bis-(4-hydroxy- N0 Dl'awillg- 29, 1965, Sen 443,687 phenyl) methane, bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl) sulfone, bis-(4- 6 Clallnshydroxyphenyl) sulfide and bis-(4-hydroxypl1enyl) disulfide. 10 The glycols which can be reacted with the polyepoxides ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE of the polyhydric phenols to produce the polyhydric poly- This application discloses a thermosettable epoxy resin ethers a the alkylene g y d p yg y having composition containing a small quantity of a modified from two to about six carbon atoms in the molecule.

epoxy resin so that the composition will hold solids in Typ l g y s Within this Class are ethylene glycol, suspension and prevent the sedimentation of the solids into ethy g y triethylene y P py g y a cake which is difficult to redisperse, the composition propylene glycol, butylene glycol, pentanediol and hexaneconsisting essentially of a polyepoxide resin and from diol.

about 0.03 to 5.0 parts per 100 parts resin of a polyhydric The glycol and polyepoxide are reacted in the prespolyether having the formula ence of a Lewis acid. It is desirable to use more than the where R is selected from the group consisting of -CH stoichiometric amount of glycol which will react with the 25. epoxide groups so that the product polyether will be CH3C-OH3 substantially free of epoxide groups. The polyhydric polyether produced in this manner may be represented by -S-, S and SO R is an alkylene group conthe formula:

taining from two to about six carbon atoms; m is an where R is selected from the group consisting of CH:-, lnteger from one to ten; and n is an integer from one to I three- CHs(l3CHa This invention relates to liquid epoxy resin compositions -S-, -S and SO R is an alkylene group conhaving improved solids suspending properties. More partaining from two to about six carbon atoms; m is an ticularly, the invention concerns epoxy resins containing integer from one to ten; and n is an integer from one to a small amount of a polyhydric polyether of a poly- 49 thr e,

epoxide. EXAMPLE 1 It is often desirable to add various solids such as fillers, pigments and the like to epoxy resins for use as adhesives, coatings, etc. The resins employed in this manner usually contain a diluent or solvent to reduce the viscosity =to that of an easily spreadable mixture. Un- 510 Parts of Polyepexlde Were added over a Perlod of 60 fortunately, these mixtures, whether concentrated or minutes- The p y e was a diglyeidyl ether Of diluted, -do not maintain the solid fillers and pigments in Phenol A havmg a P e equivalent Welght of about suspension over long periods of time. Furthermore, it is 188490 R e y y flyph y extremely difficult to resuspend finely divided solids which P 'a blsphehel Wlth eplehlofehydflh 1n the have settled from suspension. Numerous additives have Presence of Sodium hydfoxlde- The temperatllfe In the A reactor was charged with 186 parts by weight of ethylene glycol and 0.35 part BF diethyletherate. While stirring, the temperature was raised to 86 degrees C., then been tried to retard the sedimentation of solids from actor Was Permitted to increase to about 135 degrees solutions of epoxy resins; however, the thermoset resins as the Teaetlen Pmeeeded- The reactor Was theI} heated to produced from such mixtures usually have inferior propa temperature of 140-150 degfeeS ahd malfltallled at erties such as poor solvent resistance, low tensile strength, that level for 6% hours to get further The resinetc. ous product was subjected to vacuum distillation of 170 We have discovered an epoxy resin mixture containing degrees ahd 2 Hg remove 55 milliliters a small quantity of a modified epoxy resin which holds g unreacted y The resulting Semi-solid resin solids in suspension for a greater length of time and had a D softening Point of degrees and a prevents the sedimentation of the solids into a cake which 60 Sol tion viscosity of Gardner H in a 40 percent solids i difficult to redisperse, solution in n-butyl monoether of diethylene glycol.

According to our invention, the solids suspending ability The reactants in Example 1 Where present in the ratio of liquid epoxy resins or their solutions is increased by of 2.2 moles ethylene glycol per mole of the diglycidyl the addition thereto of a polyhydric ether of a polyether of bisphenol A. The reacted mole ratio of ethylene epoxide wherein the ether contains at least two hydroxyl glycol to polyepoxide was 1.65:1. Additional polyhydric groups. These polyhydric ethers can be produced by repolyethers were prepared from reaction mixtures containacting a polyepoxide with a glycol in the presence of a ing other ratios of these reactants. The properties of the Lewis acid catalyst. The polyepoxide used in producing resinous polyethers are listed in Table I.

The solution viscosities reported in Table I were determined with 40 percent solutions as in Example 1.

The ability of the polyether produced in Example 1 to retard the sedimentation of aluminum powder in an epoxy resin can be illustrated by Example 2.

EXAMPLE 2 An epoxy resin of the type which was reacted with the glycol in Example 1 was used in this example. One sample was prepared from 64.5 parts by weight of the epoxy resin, 10.5 parts of butyl glycidyl ether and 75 parts of atomized aluminum powder (Alcoa No. 101-Aluminum Corporation of America). Another sample containing the same quantities of these materials was modified by the addition of an amount of the polyether produced in Example 1 equal to 0.2 percent by weight of the resin-modifier composition.

The samples were placed in jars along with porcelain balls then rolled on a jar mill for hours to get thorough mixing. Thereafter the suspensions were removed from the jars containing the balls and aged for 72 hours. At the end of that time, a layer of the aluminum powder had settled on the bottom of each sample jar. The ease with which a small steel spatula could penetrate the settled layer was determined by measuring the time required for the spatula to pass through the layer under its own weight. The settled layer was penetrated in 1.1 seconds in the resin sample modified with the polyether whereas 11.0 seconds were required to penetrate the unmodified sample. After standing for 144 hours, 45 seconds were required to penetrate the unmodified sample and only 4 seconds for the modified sample.

These experiments illustrate the ease or difiiculty of remixing the settled powder. Table II lists the above properties of the samples prepared in Example 2 as well as the properties of epoxy resin samples modified in the same manner with the other resinous polyethers of Table I.

1 Based on weight of resin plus modifier. 1 Ease of aluminum powder redispersiou after 144 hours. AAvery easily; BB-iairly easily; CC-very ditficult.

The effect of concentration of the polyether modifier corresponding to Sample No. A of Table I in an epoxy resin paint formulation is illustrated by the data in Table III. The paint formulation was prepared with 250 parts of a 40 percent solution in methyl ethyl ketone of an epoxy resin produced from epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A having a molecular weight range from 1,000 to 1,000,000 with the major part being about 30,000; 250 parts Cellosolve acetate; 100 parts barium sulfate (Barytes No. 1 C. K. Williams and Co.); 40 parts micronized talc, (No. 399 Lo-MicronWhitaker, Clark and Daniels, Inc.); 40 parts china clay (ASP-200Minerals and Chemicals Corp. of America); 12 parts carbon black (Superjet Ml012-C. K. Williams and Co.); and 1.5 parts bentone 34 (National Lead Co.). After ball milling, the mixture was diluted to a viscosity of 13 seconds in a No. 4 Ford Cup with a solvent mixture containing: 131 parts by weight toluene; 30 parts acetone; 20 parts n-butyl alcohol; and 37 parts Cellosolve acetate. The paint samples were left standing in a jar for 40 hours, then the hardness of the sediment determined by scraping the bottom of the jar with a spatula.

TABLE III Modifier, wt. Percent (Resin plus Modifier) Sedimentation, 40 hours 1 None Large amount, very hard. 2 0.25 Slight settling, fairly hard. 0.5 Slight settling fairly soft.

t). 75 No settling. 2.0 Do.

The stability of paint formulations containing both black and white powdered pigments was determined by observing the time required for a change in color from grey to white to occur owing to pigment separation. The paint formulations were prepared by mixing a high molecular weight epoxy resin containing one of the polyether modifiers of Table I with solvents and pigments in a ball mill. The mixtures were placed in glass bottles and observed periodically to determine dispersion stability, i.e. the length of time required for separation of the pigments. The results of these observations are presented in Table TABLE IV Polyether Modifier Sample Paint Dispersion N0. Formulation Wt. percent Stability Sample (resin plus modifier) 661 None 1 day. l 661 D 2 1 month. 1 661 2 D0. l 661 2 6 months. 1 661 2 Do. 1 661 0.5 2 days. 1 661 1. 0 6 months. 1 661 2. 0 Do. l 661 3. 0 Do. 3 667 None 1 day. 3 667 2 3 days.

parts by weight of an epoxy resin (including the polyether niodrfier) having an epoxide equivalent weight in the range 475-575 and produced by the reaction of epichlorohydrin with bisphenol A in the presence of sodium hydroxide; 15 parts diacetone alcohol; 15 parts toluene; 15 parts methyl isobutyl ketone; parts titanium dioxide (Titanox-RA-51- Titanium Pigment Corp.) and 4 parts black iron oxide tMapico-Black-Columbian Carbon C0.).

2 Ethylene glycol/epoxide ratio of 4 3.

45 parts by weight of an epoxy resin (including the poly ether modifier) having an epoxide equivalent weight in the range 'l,600-2,000 and produced by the reaction of epichlorohydrin with bisphenol A in the presence of sodium hydroxide; 25 parts diacetone alcohol; 25 parts toluene; 25 parts methyl isobutyldketone; 50 parts titanium oxide; and 4 parts black iron 0x1 e.

A resin formulation containing two parts per hundred parts resin of the modifier corresponding to Sample No. A of Table I was prepared with 200 parts of 200 mesh silica sand per hundred parts of resin. The epoxy resin used in this formulation was one having an epoxide equivalent weight of about 410 produced by reacting epichlorohydrin with bisphenol A in the presence of sodium hydroxide. A sample of this modified resin stored stored at degrees C. for about 60 hours contained a slight amount of sediment which was readily redispersed whereas a sample of the same epoxy resin without the polyether modifier contained a hard sediment. The physical properties of this resin when cured with 30 parts phthalic anhydride per hundred parts resin at degrees C. for eleven hours are reported in Table V.

0.2 to about 2.0 parts per hundred parts resin of a poly- TABLE v hydric polyether according to claim 1. Sample No. g? $3,23 1 13325 3. -A thermosettable epoxy resin composition according i pp.s.i. to claim 3 wherein said polyether is produced by reacting 1 None 14,180 1- s 9,850 5 ethylene glycol with a polyepoxide obtained in the reac- 2 2 1 13,000 tion of epichlorohydrin with a polyhydric phenol in the From the fore-going data it can be seen that improved Presence of a dehydfohalogenatlflg agent solids suspension can be obtained with liquid epoxy resin thermmetfa'bkFPMy res'lll'composltlfm f formulations, including coatings compositions containing to 91mm 3 Wherem Said polyhydnc 19 1S 1 -0 non-reactive solvents, an-d/ or reactive diluents by the 10 hydroxyphenyl) P R addition of as little as 01 part of the polyhydric polyether The method of Improving the Solids suspending 31711 per hundred parts of epoxy resin without a correspondin ity of a liquid polyepoxide resin composition comprising deterioration or dilution of physical properties. 'Accordintimately mixing with said resin composition a polyhyingly, the improvements afforded by this invention can be dric polyether having the general formula realized by the incorporation of about 0.03 to about 5.0 where R is selected from the group consisting of parts per hundred parts resin and preferably about 0.2 to 20 I about 2.0 parts of the polyether per hundred parts of a l a epoxy resin in the formulation.

S-, -S and -SO R is an alkylene group These polyethers can be used to improve the solids sus- J pending ability of any of the common polyepoxide f containing from two to about s1x carbon atoms; m is an lations such as those derived from epichlorohydrin and integer from one to and n is an integer from one to bisphenol A as exemplified above as well as those prothreeduced by the epoxidation of a phenol-formaldehyde noyo- The method of fetafdlng the sedllflentatlon 9 y- -1 or other polyhydric phenols divided solids from a liquid epoxy resm composition and Epoxy resins containing the polyhydric polyether can Promoting the redispel's'ion 0f Settled Particles comprisbe cured with any of the customary epoxy curing agents mg intimately mixing a liquid P Y resin 'With a ysuch as the polyamines, dicarboxylic acid an'hydrides and divided Solid in the Presence of a p y y polyether the catalytic curing agents such as BF monoethyla'rnine, having at least four hydroxyl groups per molecule, and dicyandia'mide, and the like. having the formula HO- Rr-O)micHPEH-CHi-O-Q-Ri-Qo-QHi-EH-oHPonor-mmH where R is selected from the group consisting of I 40 CH -C-CH We claim: 3 a 1. A thermo'settable epoxy resin composition which -S, S and SO R is an alkylene group consists essentially of a polyepoxide resin and from about containing from two to about six carbon atoms; m is an 0.03 to about 5.0 parts per hundred parts resin of a integer from one to ten; and n is an integer from one to polyhydric polyether having a the general formula three. Ho-(m-o m[0Hi- 3H-oHi0@R1-0-0Hi-o11-omo]-(Ri0)mH OH in;

where R; is selected from the group consisting of References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS CH3CCH3 2,73i1,444 1/1956 Greenlee 26047 S-, -S and SO R is an alkylene group 2,914,490 11/1959 Wheelock 2602 containing from two to about six carbon atoms; m is an 2,947,717 8/1960 Belangfir 260-835 2,951,778 9/1960 Haberhn 2 60- 830 integer from one to ten; and n is an integer from one to three.

2. A thermosettable epoxy resin composition which TTILLMAN Pr'mary Exammer' consists essentially of a polyepoxide resin and from about P. LIEB ERMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

